Finally! Ever since the off-season began, Lakers Nation has been waiting for Rob Pelinka to make a move to improve the roster. Well, no luck so far as all big-name stars have slipped away from his grasp. But we do remember that the buzzword from JJ Redick’s opening presser was “player development.” In a possible desperation move, Pelinka decides to give another opportunity to a familiar young face, who got waived by the Purple and Gold last year along with Scottie Pippen’s son, Scotty Pippen Jr. But will this move pay off?

As per the latest reports by Michael Scotto, the Lakers are signing 23-year-old Hungarian star Vincent Valerio-Bodon on an Exhibit-10 contract. Surely, some of you might be wondering who he is and what this contract means.

Well, the unique contract is a non-guaranteed one-year, minimum salary deal. Moreover, the Exhibit-10 contract could also include a decent bonus of up to $75,000 which can be availed after a player has spent a minimum of two months playing for the team’s G League affiliate in case of a waiver.

Or if the player converts it to a two-way deal, that too guarantees his bonus. And this is not Bodon’s first rodeo!

Just last year, Pelinka added Vincent Valerio-Bodon along with Scotty Pippen Jr., Bryce Hamilton, and Damion Baugh on similar contracts to assess if they fit in the main roster. Unfortunately, barring Bryce, the other three were waived only a month later as they did not fit the bill. Then, the Hungarian spent last season playing for the team’s G League affiliate, the South Bay Lakers. In the ten games he played, Bodon averaged 5.1 points. But what likely stood out was that he shot 39.1% from beyond the arc and that is the skill the Lakers are always looking for to pair alongside LeBron and AD.

Can Vincent Valerio-Bodon shine like Scotty Pippen Jr. did in Memphis?

Similar to Bodon, Pippen also spent the first few months of last season playing in the G League. Moreover, he caught the scouts’ attention by averaging 21 points and nearly 6 assists. And with multiple players on their roster out due to injuries, the Grizzlies decided to give Pippen an opportunity and signed him on a two-year two-way deal at the beginning of this year. Sure enough, the six-time champion’s son maximized this opportunity and averaged 12.9 points and nearly 5 assists in 21 games as part of the Grizzlies’ main roster.

Maybe, Pelinka is hoping for a similar outcome from Valerio-Bodon. Standing at 6’9 with an ability to shoot from deep range, he is exactly the kind of player the Lakers are looking for. Following the departure of Taurean Prince, Bodon has the opportunity to impress the front office and fill the role of a three and D guy. Apart from the G League experience, he has also played in the Hungarian NBIA where he averaged 8.2 points and over four rebounds while shooting 41.2% from deep range.

So, there is definitely a lot of potential in the youngster. Now, all he needs to do is convert the offer into a two-way contract and solidify his future with this legacy franchise. Do you think Bodon would be the right fit for a reformed Redick-led Lakers?